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If you haven’t been paying attention lately, you’ve missed the important role that Florida State and Florida A&M universities play in this area.

Both universities are preparing themselves for change, growth and adding to the dynamics of our city.

For instance, FSU President Eric Barron has been busy talking up a grand vision that he sees for the Civic Center, which Florida State acquired this year. And the Civic Center is just the start of a plan that will transform that property and nearby properties from the isolated stretch that we know today. Barron is seeking city and county financial support and endorsement to create a convention center/hotel commons in the downtown property. And that’s not all. He also envisions a new College of Business finding a home there.

FSU already has some giant footprints nearby, with the College of Law well established there and the Turnbull Center. Nearby housing units are taking shape to house college students. In the past, there has been talk about this area becoming another gateway to campus as you head out Pensacola Street.

I’d say it’s a good bet that the university, with its long list of potential donors and well-established partnerships, will pull this off in the years to come. Barron is quiet by nature and, as a trained scientist, deals in realty but also is willing to explore the possibilities. The university is on fire in the context of its football team, and with that national attention comes interest, not only from older, established FSU alumni and supporters, but new ones, and Barron is smart to keep coming up with new chapters in his plan to keep moving FSU forward.

Plans like the one he presented last week are examples of those possibilities that he sees for the university. At the same time, I’m sure that this is something that has been in the talking and planning stages for a while. Practical leaders don’t throw all of their cards on the table at once with the hope that someone else will take the plan and run with it. Look closely. Leon County commissioners were eager to talk about being “partners” with the university on this plan.

At the same time, Barron is keeping his sights on his most challenging goal, and that is to shore up FSU’s position among the top 25 universities in the country. He was tenacious in courting legislators, the Board of Governors and Gov. Rick Scott to get the financial backing that he needed to get that ball rolling.

As for the Civic Center area plan, local elected officials are almost beside themselves at the possibilities.

“This could be the biggest deal we’ve seen in a while,” City Commissioner Andrew Gillum told the Democrat last week. “I really think that, with President Barron’s vision, we’ve found a way to make a convention center hotel work.”

At the same time, Florida A&M University got the early Christmas gift it was expecting when its accreditation association removed the university’s probation status.

While I suspect that interim FAMU President Larry Robinson and his team had an inkling that the tide would turn in the university’s favor, history has proven that you can’t assume anything.

What this means is that FAMU’s board of trustees now can move ahead with the important business at hand, selecting a new president. This, too, opens many opportunities for the university.

FAMU officials have spent the past year focusing on getting a grip on internal issues that landed the university on probation in the first place. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools confirmation was an initial sign that that work has paid off and that FAMU now can move forward.

This also has had an impact on students, and there are plenty of examples that students are taking it upon themselves to tell FAMU’s story and to promote the university. FAMU graduates are being invited back to speak at commencements, showing current students that a long line of achievers has paved the way for them.

By January, a new president is expected to be named, fully vetted as the most qualified leader that trustees feel comfortable putting their stock in to move the university forward.

Again, this could open many new possibilities for FAMU, and that’s it is so critical in finding someone with a clear vision.

At the same time, the rest of us can hold on and be witness to why living in a university town is unique.

Please visit this column online under Opinion at Tallahassee.com. and share your thoughts. You can contact associate editor Byron Dobson at bdobson@tallahassee.com, call him at 599-2258 and follow him on Twitter at @byrondobson.